Ben Stiller Confronts Parenting Failures in Emotional Documentary

Ben Stiller, the acclaimed actor and director, is opening up about his shortcomings as a parent in a new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost. The film, which premiered at the New York Film Festival, explores Stiller's relationship with his late parents, renowned comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and also features interviews with his own children, Ella, 23, and Quinlin, 20.

In the documentary, Stiller, now 59, acknowledges that he was not as present a parent as he had thought, often prioritizing his work over family time. He recalls a heartbreaking moment when his son, Quinlin, was young and expressed his wish for Stiller to stay home instead of leaving for a film shoot. Stiller admits that he was unable to see the impact his frequent absences had on his children, just as he had experienced with his own famous parents.

Stiller's grown children, Ella and Quinlin, whom he shares with his wife, actress Christine Taylor, 54, were "very clear" in expressing to their father the things he "got wrong" as a parent. Stiller says he deeply appreciated their honesty and the opportunity to gain a new perspective on his parenting.